


Does She?

by gurajiorasu



Category: Arashi (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-09
Updated: 2014-10-09
Packaged: 2018-02-20 12:46:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,152
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2429345
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gurajiorasu/pseuds/gurajiorasu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>Does she know how to help you relax when you’re tired? Does she sing you to sleep like I did?</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	Does She?

Nino had prepared his heart to meet Ohno Satoshi. Well, it was his high school reunion party, and Ohno was his high school friend.  
It was another thing that Ohno was also happened to be his _ex-boyfriend._

What Nino hadn’t anticipated before was that Ohno would come with a _woman_ wrapped around his arm.

“Nino..,” Ohno greeted him with a big wide grin on his face, “Ah.. or should I call you ‘Sakurai san’ now? I’ve heard about your engagement! Congratulations!”

 _Yeah, an arranged engagement with someone who I don’t love and doesn’t love me._  
Nino chuckled groggily and said, “Nah.. We’re not married yet. And I’m not planning to use his family name too. So.. yeah..”

“Ah, I see!” Ohno cheerfully nodded. He then pushed the woman beside him forward, “While we’re on this subject, I’d like you to meet my girlfriend, Junko.”

The woman stepped forward and politely bowed to Nino, “Nice to meet you.”

Nino bowed too, “Nice to meet you too.”  
He couldn’t help but to observe the girl and winced at the shiny jewelries she wore.  
 _He likes his partner modest and humble.._

“Where are your fiancé, by the way?” Ohno asked while scanning the room.

“Ah, he’s.. at home,” Nino lied. He didn’t know where Sakurai was. Not like he cared about his whereabouts, anyway, “He doesn’t like parties.”

There’s a little bit of shock and pity on Ohno’s eyes but Nino didn’t want to be pitied. Not by his happy _ex-boyfriend_.

The woman glanced a bit to both Ohno and Nino, then she smiled, “Ninomiya san, Satoshi kun-”

_‘Oh chan’. He likes to be called ‘Oh chan’. Not ‘Satoshi kun’._

“-I’ll go to take some drinks first, okay?”

“Oh- alright,” Ohno tap the woman’s waist and kissed her cheek lightly.

The woman patted Ohno’s shoulder shyly and left them.

 _He doesn’t like to be left alone in the crowd like this.._  
Nino unconsciously clutched the hem of his pants.

“It’s been so long, ne?” Ohno started the conversation again, “What? Six years? Seven?”

 _Six years, three months, two weeks, three days since you broke me up on our graduation day. And I still love you._  
Nino bit his tongue because he knew it would be too creepy, so he replied in a carefree and short fashion, “Yeah, six. More or less.”

“Yeah.. Six years..,” Ohno repeated then silence. It seemed that awkwardness had fallen to them.  
Ohno scratched the back of his head as if he was thinking hard of what to say.

Nino noticed how skinny Ohno was compared to when they were together.  
 _Does she take care of you properly? Does she remind you to eat? Does she cook your favorite dishes?_

“Have you been fine all along?” Ohno asked. Probably just to break the silence.

“Um.. yeah.”  
 _If missing you in every single second is counted as fine then.. yeah.._

Ohno chuckled, “Of course you are. Your fiancé takes care of you nicely, doesn’t he?”

Nino nodded absentmindedly.

Nino’s eyes were dragged to the wrinkles on the corner of Ohno’s eyes that were always his favorite. But there were dark circles around them right then, and Nino didn’t really like it.  
 _Does she know how to help you relax when you’re tired? Does she sing you to sleep like I did?_

The woman came back with two glasses of champagne on her hands. She gave one to Ohno.

“Thank you, dear,” Ohno smiled and sipped the fancy champagne.

 _It’s not the drink he would enjoy. It’s not even the right kind._  
Nino was sure that the woman wasn’t the right person for Ohno. But then, he saw how Ohno looked at her - his eyes were sparkling and full of fondness, full of love. The gaze that once was intended for Nino and Nino only was directed to that woman right then.

And Nino knew it was really an end for him. For his feelings.  
 _Look at him, he’s not even gay, Nino, just like what he said to you when he broke you up. Open your eyes._

Nino felt his eyes were burning up. He had to rescue himself soon.  
“I.. need to go home. Nice to meet you guys,” Nino forced a smile. He was lucky that they were on theater club once.

“Eh, so fast?” Ohno seemed to be startled. Or disappointed. But it might be just Nino’s wishful thinking.

“My.. _fiance_ needs me,” Nino lied again.

“Oh, I see..,” Ohno’s eyes seemed to be dimmer for a second.

Nino bowed slightly and turned away. He really couldn’t take it anymore.  
He bit his lower lips and dashed through the crowd.

A hand stopped Nino from moving even farther. It was Ohno’s.  
“Nino..”

Nino arranged his breath and forced himself to keep it a little longer.  
He turned to face Ohno, “Yeah?”

Luckily to Nino, Ohno was alone without his girlfriend.  
“Are we.. okay? I mean.. with our past and all. And you’re having fiancé and-”

“We’re okay,” Nino smiled as sincere as he could, “We’re cool. Now get back to your beautiful girlfriend.”

Ohno was frozen.

Nino turned away again and resumed his walk.

“Then..,” Ohno’s voice stopped Nino again, “Can I talk to you again? I mean.. be friends again like we used to.”

Nino felt a sharp excruciating pain in his heart, “Yeah, we’re cool so.. yeah.. we can do that, I guess.”

“Thank you,” Nino could hear Ohno’s smile.

Nino didn’t turn his head again, he walked fast - away from everything.

Once he was inside his car, he cried his broken heart out.

*******

Ohno’s eyes were fixated to Nino’s back as the younger was leaving the party. His smile was getting less and less and finally completely disappeared when Nino was no longer visible.

“How’s it?” a woman moved closer to Ohno from behind.

“Good, I guess,” Ohno sighed and took out his wallet, “Here, your payment. Thanks for your act.”

Junko smiled and took the money from Ohno’s hand, “I can do it for free if you ask nicely.”

Ohno just shrugged and pushed the glass he’d been holding to Junko. He immediately searched for something stronger.

“I still don’t get it. If you still love him so much that you can’t face him without hiring a fake girlfriend, why don’t you fight to win him back?” Junko followed from behind, eyes were already scanning for the cute guy she met earlier.

“Because I don’t deserve him,” Ohno mumbled.  
 _Because I’m just a coward that dumped him just because some friends were mocking us for being gay._

Junko patted Ohno’s shoulder and left Ohno. Ohno took out his wallet and caressed an old picture of him and Nino that was always there. _Always._ Through all those six years, three months, two weeks, and three days.  
Ohno gazed down sadly. His heart was as broken as ever.  
 _Does he love you as much as I do?_


End file.
